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Showbiz Tonight

Washington, D.C., goes on red alert for 15 minutes after a small plane strays into restricted airspace. Actor Macaulay Culkin testifies he was never molested by Michael Jackson at the singer`s trial. "People" magazine says the Renee Zellweger, Kenny Chesney marriage was a small, quiet affair. Howard Stern`s girlfriend, Beth Ostrosky, says their relationship is perfect. Actress Camryn Manheim says playing Elvis Presley`s mother in the CBS mini-series was easier because the public never knew much about her.

Aired May 11, 2005 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: A terror scare in D.C. And a network scramble.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And a child star takes the stand in a very grown-up trial. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Tonight, Culkin in court. Macaulay Culkin takes the stand. What did the "Home Alone" star say about Michael Jackson? We`re there.

BRYANT: Tying the knot without saying a lot. New details of the surprise Renee and Kenny wedding. Plus, we`ll tell you who else just got hitched.

HAMMER: But we`ll get to know her. Tracey Ullman, taking on a very personal role. She joins us live.

BRYANT: Also, "The Final Trek" continues. "Star Trek" stars past and present join us to celebrate the Enterprise`s final voyage, live.

HAMMER: And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are the official winners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: They raced under pressure and pulled off an amazing come- from-behind win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really, one of the best finishes ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: We`re at the finish line of "The Amazing Race."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBER BRKICH, "THE AMAZING RACE": Hi, I`m Amber.

ROB MARIANO, "THE AMAZING RACE": I`m Rob.

MARIANO/BRKICH: From "The Amazing Race." And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you are at the top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We`re live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

BRYANT: Well, it didn`t last very long, but it felt like an eternity.

HAMMER: The nation watched their televisions in fear today as the White House and the Capitol were evacuated in a terror scare that really brought back chilling memories of September 11. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here with the very latest.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: A.J., Karyn, certainly a lot of activity today, code red in the nation`s capital as a pilot mistakenly flew into restricted air space just three miles from the White House. It was an error that sent the capital and the TV news networks scrambling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were yelling at to us run. One man told me, This is not a joke. And he said, Run, get off of the grounds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): CNN`s Suzanne Malveaux described a vivid scene of chaos at the nation`s capital, a warning that sent senators, congressmen and dignitaries into the streets and television news crews scrambling, capturing every terrifying moment. Around noon, the Capitol police went into high alert. A small plane entered into secure air space. Minutes later, CNN`s Wolf Blitzer reports to the nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to just interrupt because we`re getting some disturbing pictures from Capitol Hill right now...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: And ABC`s Dan Harris was the first of the big three networks to break the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN HARRIS, ABC NEWS: The breaking news out of Washington, D.C....

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: CBS news anchor Bob Schieffer was heading to lunch when he heard the news.

BOB SCHIEFFER, ANCHOR, "CBS EVENING NEWS": Somebody literally grabbed me by the shoulder and said, Wait a minute, we just got a report that there -- that Washington may be under attack.

HAFFENREFFER: Both the White House and the Capitol quickly evacuated, and fighter jets scrambled to move the Cessna out of the area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Clearly, there was a very rapid evacuation of the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: But for a city and a nation still healing from the September 11 attacks four years ago, it brought back some frightening memories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Outside and to your right, folks!

KATE LINDER, "THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS": Chaos. People just started going, walking out, running. And we heard someone say, This is not a drill. Leave the building.

HAFFENREFFER: "Young and the Restless" actress Kate Linder, testifying before the Senate to help boost funding for Lou Gehrig`s disease, was right there when it happened and told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the harrowing experience.

LINDER: I tried to remain calm. And people around me were saying, Oh, it`s just probably a plane got in the wrong air space. I was hoping that that was the reason, so I was trying to think that and not think the other way, that it was 9/11 all over again.

HAFFENREFFER: It`s a sign of the times. Schieffer says 9/11 changed the way TV news reacts to these kinds of emergencies.

SCHIEFFER: We`re all on a hair-trigger alert now, and even the least incident, you know, the most minor out-of-the-ordinary incident, can sometimes trigger a massive response. And it`s just something we`re going to have to learn to live with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And we are every day. The security scare lasted only about 15 minutes from start until finish, but the news networks continue to update the story at this hour -- A.J.

HAMMER: It was a scary few minutes. Thanks very much, David Haffenreffer -- Karyn.

BRYANT: Well, he is...

HAMMER: OK. He is -- I`ll take this one, Karyn. He is the witness in the Michael Jackson trial that everybody`s been waiting to hear from. Today, it finally happened, actor Macaulay Culkin testifying for the defense at the Jackson trial. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson is live with us in Hollywood with the very latest -- Brooke.

BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Hi, there, A.J. Macaulay Culkin was a frequent visitor to Jackson`s Neverland ranch, where prosecutors allege Jackson engaged in improper relationships with a number of young boys. Macaulay Culkin said today he only found out he was a potential victim from news reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Macaulay Culkin is used to the cameras, but this time, the cameras took his every move, his every pace, through the doors and through the metal detectors, this time not as an actor but as a witness for the defense.

He`s at the center of attention because the jury heard a former Jackson maid and chef say they witnessed inappropriate behavior between Jackson and Culkin. But Culkin today said two words to the jury: "absolutely ridiculous," Denying he was molested. "Celebrity Justice`s" Harvey Levin told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this is all good news for the defense.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": There is nothing like the person allegedly who had something done to him testifying. You can have witnesses talking about it, but unless the jury has reason to doubt, in this case, Macaulay Culkin, they`re going to believe Macaulay Culkin and they will disbelieve the maid and the chef and anybody else who said they saw something. Macaulay Culkin has to be damaged in order for the jury to start wondering, Well, maybe he`s lying. And it doesn`t seem like he was really damaged.

ANDERSON: It`s pictures like this we know about, the Disneyland trips, the music videos, all this after Culkin became famous after the "Home Alone" movies. Now fast-forward years later, and Macaulay told CNN`s Larry King the relationship was completely innocent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACAULAY CULKIN, FRIEND OF MICHAEL JACKSON: Michael Jackson`s bedroom is two stories. And it has, like, three bathrooms, and this and that. So when I slept in his bedroom, yes, but you have to understand the whole scenario. And the thing is with Michael, is that he`s not very good at explaining himself. And he never really has been because he`s not a very social person. I mean, you`re talking about someone who`s been sheltered and sheltering himself, also, for the last, like, 30 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Culkin told the jury he felt a special bond with Jackson because they were both child stars.

LEVIN: This was a very close relationship. And I think the danger prosecutors are running into here is that Michael Jackson has peculiar relationships with young boys -- simply peculiar -- and Macaulay Culkin is one of those relationships. If the jury walks away believing, You know, it`s peculiar, but we don`t think he molested, then the jury can basically say, This is kind of this weird manchild who isn`t a criminal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Analysts tell us Culkin isn`t a make-or-break witness. And there`s still more to come. Culkin was the first celebrity to testify for the defense, but there could be more. Elizabeth Taylor, Stevie Wonder and Kobe Bryant are just a few of the names the defense has put on their witness list -- Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks very much, Brooke Anderson.

HAMMER: Well, the final four contestants performed last night on "American Idol," the first show since Corey Clark claimed he had an intimate and improper relationship with judge Paula Abdul. And host Ryan Seacrest addressed it right off the bat. Well, sort of.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN SEACREST, HOST: Let`s just put it out there. Lots of shock and outrage surrounding the show. And I just want to say, that`s what happens when you lose a guy like Scott Savol.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, the audience cheered Paula when she was introduced, and some brought signs showing support for her. Today on "The Ellen Degeneres Show," Abdul`s fellow judge, Simon Cowell, gave his reaction to the scandal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: I (INAUDIBLE) that she cheated on me. (INAUDIBLE) it was quite obvious that this was actually just a huge plug for his appalling new album. I have to say, in defense of Paula, what with the now four seasons, I mean, you would have heard rumors of this stuff. You know what it`s like when you work on show. And it was all news to me, and I think it was all news to her. And I think it`s just another controversy, isn`t it, on "American Idol."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Got some interesting insight, as well. Simon says he thinks it`s going to be Carrie and Bo in the final, and it`s going to be a close call when that race finally comes to a close. Tonight, one of the final four contestants gets sent home.

BRYANT: Tonight, new details and new photos of one of Hollywood`s most surprising weddings, Renee Zellweger and country music star Kenny Chesney. As SHOWBIZ TONIGHT first told you, they tied the knot on the Caribbean island of St. John on Monday. Now, they wed after meeting only four months ago.

Joining us with the details and a look at "People" magazine`s exclusive wedding photos is Cynthia Sanz, senior editor of "People" magazine. Cynthia, thanks for joining us. First question. How were they able to keep this relationship and this wedding such a secret?

CYNTHIA SANZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: You know, it was really impressive on their part. They just made it a point to not go out in public. They met very quietly. They would meet out-of-the-way places. They talked on the phone all the time. They really wanted to keep it between themselves.

BRYANT: Basically, didn`t they go down to Nashville and sort of hang out together there, but basically stay out of Hollywood`s, you know, radar?

SANZ: They completely did. I mean, they would meet, like, in San Diego or they would meet in Nashville or they would just meet wherever he was playing on his tour. They really tried to stay away from the spotlight.

BRYANT: OK. What can you tell us about the actual wedding? How big was it? Who was there? What did they have at the reception?

SANZ: The wedding was really, really tiny. They had about 35 close family and friends. They just wanted it to be very private among the people they really cared about. They exchanged two simple silver bands as wedding bands. There wasn`t any big flashy engagement ring, no celebrity guests, no $40,000 flower arrangements. It was really just a very simple, traditional ceremony.

BRYANT: And what about the rehearsal dinner, if you will, the night before?

SANZ: The whole party went out, actually, the night before, for the rehearsal and then just to sort of celebrate. And Kenny and Renee wore flip-flop flops and jeans. It was very casual, just (INAUDIBLE) island fun.

BRYANT: OK. What are they up to now? Are they taking a honeymoon, or are they going back to work?

SANZ: Well, Kenny`s actually still on tour, so he had to go back to work. Renee has to do promotion for "Cinderella Man." They`ll be certainly meeting up while he`s on tour, but they have to work it around their schedules.

BRYANT: Now, do you think that he will show up with her on the red carpet for the "Cinderella Man" premiere?

SANZ: Maybe. And certainly, the Academy of Country Music is next week, and everybody`s waiting to see if she shows up with him.

BRYANT: OK. And there was another celebrity wedding, Heidi Klum and Seal. Any details on that?

SANZ: They, too, kept it really small, really private. It was at his home on the western coast of Mexico. They only had about 40 people. They wanted something very simple, too.

BRYANT: All right. And they`re expecting a baby this fall, as well.

SANZ: They are.

BRYANT: All right. Well, Cynthia, thanks for joining us here now. You at home can pick up the issue of "People" magazine with the Renee and Kenny photos beginning this Friday.

HAMMER: Well, Karyn, we have some good news coming into the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom tonight. Sharon Stone has a little nugget. Word tonight she`s adopted a baby boy. Stone has named the baby Laird Vonne Stone. She also has a 4-year-old son from her five-year marriage to former husband Phil Bronstein. You recall she recovered from suffering a brain aneurysm. She`s currently in London shooting "Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction."

Well, another celebrity couple, Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky have -- Ostrosky -- did I mispronounce that? I believe I did. Sorry, Beth. They have a lot of buzz going, certainly. And she`s going to join us to talk about that and what you`re looking at coming up next.

BRYANT: Also, Rob and Amber survived "Survivor." Did they survive "The Amazing Race"? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is with them for the exciting finish.

HAMMER: Plus, "Star Trek" heads toward the finish line. Our "Final Trek" series continues with a "Star Trek" original, Mr. Sulu, and one of the stars from the last "Trek" series, both coming up right here, live.

It`s time now for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actor attended Columbia University on a football scholarship before discovering acting? Was it Ed Harris, James Gandolfini, Ben Stiller or Johnny Depp? Stick around. We`re coming right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actor attended Columbia University on a football scholarship before discovering acting, Ed Harris, James Gandolfini, Ben Stiller or Johnny Depp? The answer is A, Ed Harris.

BRYANT: It`s time now for "The Show`s Biz," a look at stories making news in the business of entertainment. Tonight, Yahoo! is taking on Apple`s I-Tunes service for the I-Pod. Yahoo! today launched an on-line music service. For a monthly fee, you can rent songs from a million-song library and put them on portable players other than the I-Pod. Stop paying the monthly fee, and the music won`t play anymore. Yahoo!`s fee is half that of competitors Rhapsody and Napster, who have similar services.

And that leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. On-line music: Better than buying CDs? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later on in the show.

HAMMER: Well, Howard Stern made waves on the airwaves when he said he was going digital to Sirius satellite radio. His girlfriend, Beth Ostrosky, is creating a lot of buzz herself, too. She is on the cover of this month`s "FHM" magazine. Beth joins us live here in New York for a little "Sitdown."

And I got to tell you, once again, a magazine creating quite a stir on our set, Beth. It`s nice to see you. Thanks for coming in.

BETH OSTROSKY, "FHM" COLUMNIST: Oh, really? Wow. Thank you.

HAMMER: All the guys coming over to grab it out of my hands. In fact, I want to take a look at some of the footage from the shoot...

OSTROSKY: I don`t!

HAMMER: ... for the cover photo.

OSTROSKY: I don`t.

HAMMER: You don`t have to look at the monitor. If we could roll that? Doing this not such a tough gig, right?

OSTROSKY: I know.

HAMMER: I mean, really, I know it`s work. I know you`re out there working. Where was this...

OSTROSKY: That`s not work.

HAMMER: Where was this being shot?

OSTROSKY: That was in Miami. It was really windy and cold, and I was miserable.

HAMMER: OK.

OSTROSKY: But look how good I am.

HAMMER: Yes, you look fantastic, and you get paid for, you know, basically hanging out on the beach. And if I may say so, the pictures don`t do you justice.

OSTROSKY: Oh, thank you, A.J.!

HAMMER: Now that I get to see you here in person. My pleasure!

OSTROSKY: Very sweet!

HAMMER: And also in the magazine, I found it really fascinating you`re giving out advice, but not just giving out advice, you`re doing it with Ted Lange...

OSTROSKY: I know!

HAMMER: ... who, of course, is Isaac...

OSTROSKY: Isaac...

HAMMER: ... from "The Love Boat."

OSTROSKY: ... from "The Love Boat."

HAMMER: What`s that about?

OSTROSKY: How did that happen? I developed this great relationship with "FHM," and they -- I don`t know, they -- I guess being in a relationship with Howard Stern for five years, that makes me an expert on relationships. So guys consider that the case, and they write to me and ask me questions. And I just have fun.

HAMMER: So it`s your actual advice. You`re not -- this isn`t ghost- written for you or anything like that?

OSTROSKY: No, it`s my advice. What do you think?

HAMMER: Well, I actually liked one of the pieces. You said never date a woman who you`ve paid cash to for a lap dance.

OSTROSKY: Yes.

HAMMER: Words to live by.

OSTROSKY: Don`t do it, A.J.! Don`t do it.

HAMMER: Well, as we`ve mentioned, you do have a very famous boyfriend.

OSTROSKY: I do.

HAMMER: Dating a star poses its own challenges. Dating a mega-star like Howard certainly must pose some unique challenges. I imagine there`s a lot of up side to it, perhaps some down side. What is some of the stuff that comes along with the territory?

OSTROSKY: Well, it`s all been up side for me. Tomorrow, actually, is our five-year anniversary.

HAMMER: Congratulations. That`s awesome.

OSTROSKY: Thank you. I`m doing something right. No, it`s just blissful, happy. There`s really -- there`s no challenge for us. That`s the key. When people are in relationships and they`re in misery, like, Oh, we`re friends, but we have problems sexually or -- you know, it doesn`t have to be that way. I have it all. It`s all good. If you`re in a relationship where something`s missing, you can find the perfect person out there because I have.

HAMMER: That`s cool.

OSTROSKY: And it`s just great. There are no challenges. It just works for us.

HAMMER: Well, he seems to say the same thing about you. I listen to his show every day, so he`s saying it.

OSTROSKY: Thank you.

HAMMER: Of course, he does have rather obsessive fans. Not all of them, but there are some. Anything ever happen weird walking in the street or any...

OSTROSKY: No. They`ve all been so supportive of me, and I love them all.

HAMMER: So being, Hey, Howard`s girlfriend, that`s cool?

OSTROSKY: You know what? It`s a great thing. I`m proud of it.

HAMMER: I also know you guys are big dog fans. And we have a lovely picture of Bianca Romijn Stamos...

OSTROSKY: Yes.

HAMMER: ... on the cover of the "New York Dog" magazine.

OSTROSKY: Yes.

HAMMER: She`s such a beautiful bulldog. I actually have obviously been hearing about her for years. To finally see her picture, you just...

OSTROSKY: She`s my baby.

HAMMER: How did you get involved with this?

OSTROSKY: I work really closely with the North Shore Animal League of America, and I just promote adopting at your local shelter, so...

HAMMER: Which everybody should do.

OSTROSKY: Which everyone -- A.J. did. I saw a picture of your beautiful dog.

HAMMER: Thank you.

OSTROSKY: And so Bianca`s just my little mascot and comes along with me, and she ends up stealing the show and getting the cover of the magazine.

HAMMER: And a one-of-a-kind name, if I may ask.

OSTROSKY: Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

HAMMER: Named after some friends of yours.

OSTROSKY: Named after, actually, a stripper, because she`s a big, fat English bulldog, so we wanted to give her a feminine name. A friend of ours was dating a stripper, she gave herself a feminine name. We thought it was great, Bianca, and...

HAMMER: It wasn`t Bianca Paris (ph), was it?

OSTROSKY: I don`t know her last name.

HAMMER: No, I don`t even want to go there.

OSTROSKY: Do you Bianca Paris?

HAMMER: I don`t even want to comment on it!

OSTROSKY: Uh-oh! Talk to you about that later.

HAMMER: Thank you so much for stopping by. Really...

OSTROSKY: Thank you, A.J.

HAMMER: So nice to meet you.

OSTROSKY: I`ll see you over at Sirius.

HAMMER: I have a lot to talk about there.

OSTROSKY: I`ll see you at Sirius.

HAMMER: ... but I`m going to just move along.

OSTROSKY: Everyone go to Sirius January next year.

HAMMER: And make sure you read all about Beth in this month`s "FHM" magazine that happened to hit newsstands today.

BRYANT: Well, it is the end of the road for Dennis Miller`s show on CNBC. Just a short time ago, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT confirmed that the show has been canceled. CNBC has decided to replay "Mad Money" with Jim Cramer at 9:00 Eastern in Miller`s time slot. And in a memo to employees today, the president of CNBC says when Miller heard the news, he told them, I`m out of here, and decided to leave the network immediately. The last episode of "Dennis Miller" airs this Friday.

HAMMER: Well, as Dennis Miller leaves the building, Elvis has reentered it. There`s a new mini-series about the king of rock-and-roll. Camryn Manheim plays his mom, and she`s going to join us coming up next.

BRYANT: Tracey Ullman has played many people in her career. This time, she takes on someone who knows her quite well. She`s live with us in just a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is time for another "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," this time with Camryn Manheim. She may be best known for her Golden Globe and Emmy-winning role as a hard-hitting attorney on "The Practice," but in her new role as Elvis Presley`s mother in the CBS mini-series "Elvis," Camryn reveals she can be tender, too.

I sat down with Camryn and asked her about playing the role of Gladys Presley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMRYN MANHEIM, "ELVIS: THE EARLY YEARS": You know, I think actors are always a little afraid to play a character that`s known in history because you -- there`s a huge burden to do it right. The beauty about playing Gladys Presley is that everyone knew how much Elvis loved her, but they didn`t know a lot about her personally. They didn`t know what she sounded like. They didn`t know how she really acted in public. So I felt like a burden to imitate her perfectly was lifted. And I just did a lot of research. I read incredible books. "Elvis and Gladys" is a quintessential book on her lineage, on her heritage, on her upbringing. Many people talk about her. It was really helpful in defining who she was.

BRYANT: Well, we`re going to take a look at a clip, actually. This is where you and Elvis are talking together, kind of about the down side of fame and success.

MANHEIM: Yes. This is Graceland, and we were lucky enough to get to film there. And she`s feeding the chickens and talking to her baby.

BRYANT: Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANHEIM: But I always knew you`d be home for dinner. And Dixie was there, and we`d all go to church together. And I didn`t have to worry whether or not you were safe or if I look good enough for all them reporters.

JONATHAN RHYS-MEYERS, "ELVIS": Oh, Momma, you look just fine.

MANHEIM: I just want you to be proud of me, Elvis.

RHYS-MEYERS: Proud of you?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Now, you touched on the relationship between the two of them. Can you go on that? Because a lot of people don`t know how close they were or what kind of relationship they had.

MANHEIM: Yes. They had a very profound bond. Elvis loved Gladys so much. In fact, the reason why we know of Elvis is because for one of Gladys` birthdays, he saved up $3.50, which was a lot of money in those times, went to Sun Records and cut her an album for her birthday.

BRYANT: Yes.

MANHEIM: It was there that the producers heard him, and that he kind of said, I belong in this studio. And of course, that`s where his whole career started, was at Sun Records, so...

BRYANT: Yes, I was in Memphis a couple years ago, and I went to Sun studios. And it`s amazing. I mean, they have the microphone.

(CROSSTALK)

MANHEIM: It`s a museum. It`s, like, incredible. And it started there on that day when he cut that record. It was called "My Happiness"...

BRYANT: Right.

MANHEIM: ... and he gave to it her for her birthday. And she adored Elvis, believed in him, thought that he should have his own style, he should embrace his uniqueness, he should embrace his incredible talent. While other people were saying, You`re going to go to hell, you`re the devil, she`s, like, Honey, you stick to your guns. And he loved her for that and I think credits her with a lot of his success.

BRYANT: Everybody loved you in "The Practice," OK, and you won, you know, awards for it. Obviously, people would love to see you back on television. Are you planning on doing any more TV besides this mini- series?

MANHEIM: Don`t think you can get rid of me that easy just because my show of eight years got canceled! No, I`ve been doing a lot of TV. In fact, I`ve been doing "The L Word." I did "Two and a Half Men." But the most exciting news is that I just finished my own pilot...

BRYANT: Oh, really?

MANHEIM: ... which I hope you all will see in the fall.

BRYANT: Well, Thank you for joining us today, Camryn.

MANHEIM: Nice to see you. Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: And you can catch part two of the Elvis mini-series tonight on CBS.

HAMMER: An amazing finish to "The Amazing Race" as they globe-trotted into the winner`s circle. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT stayed up late partying with the finalists. That`s coming up next. Plus, Tracey Ullman exposing herself, in a flash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BRYANT: The final trek. As "Star Trek" rides of into the sunset, tonight we have stars from the current series and the original series live.

HAMMER: An amazing finish to the amazing race and an amazing party with the host and contestants. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE DITKA: Hi, I`m Mike Ditka and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

The networks scrambled over a security scare in Washington this afternoon. The White House and Capitol building were evacuated when a small plane flew into restricted air space. The all clear was given 15 minutes later.

Actor Macaulay Culkin says the molestation charges against Michael Jackson are quote, absolutely ridiculous. Culkin testified in Jackson`s defense in California today. He told jurors Jackson never touched him in an improper way but that he did sleep in Jackson`s bed 12 or more times between the ages of 9 and 14.

BRYANT: Heidi Klum and Seal are married. We learned today the model and the singer exchanged vows yesterday on a beach in Mexico. They broke news of their engagement back in January and in March, Klum announced she was pregnant. Klum and Seal started dating last year.

HAMMER: Once again, our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Online music, better than buying CDs? We`d like you to keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say? You can e-mail us your thoughts at showbiztonight@cnn.com. And we`re going to share some of what you had to say at 54 past the hour.

BRYANT: Tonight, fans of the AMAZING RACE are catching their collective breath. The reality show which pits 11 teams of two against each other in a race around the world had a thrilling season finale last night. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there with the contestants as they watched the season end with a surprise winner and an even bigger surprise runner-up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT (voice-over): An amazing comeback, an amazing party and an amazing end to this season of the AMAZING RACE.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the best finishes ever.

BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there as AMAZING RACE host Phil Keoghan and the contestant reunited in New York City last night to watch the thrilling season finale. Houston couple Uchenna and Joyce staged a Texas- sized comeback and during a flat tire in Jamaica, the loss of their stuff and a breakdown or two, to beat reality show vets and early favorites Rob and Amber to the finish line. The winners told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sometimes, nice guys do finish first.

UCHENNA AGU, WINNER: At the end of the day, we felt we ran the best race that we could, being the best people that we could be.

BRYANT: Rob and Amber aren`t used to losing. Last year, Amber won SURVIVOR all stars. Rob came in second, but got a pretty good consolation prize. But although they weren`t able to conquer the AMAZING RACE, the couple, who married last month, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they have no regrets.

AMBER BRKICH, 2ND PLACE: I think we impressed ourselves with how well we got along, how well we worked together and we came out on top.

ROB MARIANO, 2ND PLACE: We were definitely focused and committed, and I think it showed throughout the course of the entire race.

BRYANT: As for the winners, it`s clear what Uchenna and Joyce plan to do with their $1 million prize.

UCHENNA AGU: In vitro here we come, baby.

BRYANT: They tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that their next challenge is having a child.

JOYCE AGU, WINNER: We`re going to do a round of in vitro. If it doesn`t work out, we`ve got some funds. We can afford adoptions.

BRYANT: The AMAZING RACE has adopted some new viewers. The Emmy winning show scored its highest rating ever this season. The show`s host says it`s all because this cast was, well, amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a little bit like playing the lottery and season seven we really got it right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: After their second place finish, Rob and Amber tied the knot in the Bahamas. You can catch the wedding on a CBS special May 24.

Two other AMAZING RACE couples tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they`ve also caught the marriage bug. Deanna and Ray are getting married in two weeks and Lynn and Alex plan to exchange vows next month in Canada. But the squabbling third place finishers Ron and Kelly tell us they`ve decided to be friends.

BRYANT: We have this just in to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom. Comedy Central star Dave Chapelle has checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa. This comes from "Entertainment Weekly." Now the comedian`s whereabouts and condition have been unknown since Comedy Central suddenly canceled the premiere of the third season of Chapelle`s show. It had been postponed and production had been halted. The magazine reports Chapelle flew from Newark to South Africa on April 28 for treatment. Chapelle`s spokesman Matt Labov would not comment on the magazine`s story.

HAMMER: It is time now for another showbiz sit down, this time with Tracey Ullman. You`re hearing her 1984 hit "They Don`t Know Right Now." For a good part of her career, you really knew her as someone else from a male New York City cab driver to a 70-year-old doughnut shop owner who was Asian, and her comedy came to America on the Tracey Ullman show in the late `80s. For that she snapped up a bunch of Emmys and now she`s dropping all the wigs, all that heavy makeup and chest hair to play herself in a new HBO comedy special called "Tracey Ullman, Live and Exposed." Tracey, thanks for stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

TRACEY ULLMAN, ENTERTAINER: Thank you.

HAMMER: It`s so cool having you here. We were just talking during the break about "They Don`t Know" and I mentioned it`s 21 years ago and you put your hand on your face in shock.

ULLMAN: Oh, my goodness, I know, 21 years ago. I was an MTV V.J. It was when they were on Tenth Avenue, the little studio. I think it was "Video Killed the Radio Star" got played all the time. Huey Lewis and the News and me quite a bit.

HAMMER: A lot of people didn`t realize you were there from the very beginning really.

ULLMAN: Yeah, that`s right. And I had Paul McCartney in my video. People used to think he was my father or something. He`s your dad, right? No, no, Paul`s not my dad. Yes, well, longevity in this business, darling.

HAMMER: You deal a lot with that in your HBO special which is coming on this weekend.

ULLMAN: Yes.

HAMMER: You`ve spent your entire career picking out that one little characteristic about people you`ve met along the way and turning those into the characters you play.

ULLMAN: Yes.

HAMMER: Now you`re basically turning the mirror on yourself. Was that tough to do?

ULLMAN: Yes, me playing me, my most challenging character. I just play sort of nice Tracey, nice, friendly, approachable Tracey. I wanted to do a show on stage, I`ve never done it. I`ve never spoken directly to an audience dressed as myself and tell my life story so far. I started out at six years old doing a show in my mother`s bedroom. And I think I basically do that now. I mean with more lights, a bit more money, some costumes. And so, you know, I used to stand on the windowsill and pull back the curtains and just become people. And I decided to put that on stage. And I play myself at six. I have this ridiculous little thing that hangs, like sort of swinging (INAUDIBLE), if found these little bunches to wear. And I went through my dancing years, my pop star years as we talked about. They don`t know.

HAMMER: Actually, I want to ask you something about the dancing years before we move on from that, because you learned an important lesson. I believe it was when you were dancing in Berlin, about the necessity of wearing underwear when you`re dancing on stage.

ULLMAN: Yes. It`s just -- I mean, it wasn`t Berlin. It was Blackpool. It was a very sad seaside resort and one day, it was sunny, and I ran out with the dancers and we went to the beach and I ran back to get changed and I put my pantyhose on and my red dress and I ran out on stage and went to do a cart wheel lift with a guy, and realized I had no underwear on over the top of my pantyhose. It`s an old dancer`s trick that you`re all aware of. And I`m a brunette and, you know just -- it was a moment.

HAMMER: We understand where you`re going.

ULLMAN: (INAUDIBLE) British holiday makers.

HAMMER: The dance kind of ended with that.

ULLMAN: It kind of ended there. So I reenact that in the show, do a lot of dancing. It was good to be thrown in the air again with no underpants on, but we do black out before that vital moment.

HAMMER: You`ll have to just see that on the special.

ULLMAN: You`ll just have to see. You`ll just have to see.

HAMMER: The "Simpsons" just celebrated a very important milestone, 16 years on the air. And they are now the longest running animated sitcom ever on television. A lot of people may not realize they got their start not looking like this, on your show originally just as a vignette.

ULLMAN: Rudimentary on my show. It was sort of like this. It was all like hand drawn at the time.

HAMMER: Do you watch the show?

ULLMAN: I love the "Simpsons." How proud I am. It`s amazing. It`s the best writing and it`s actually so established and wonderful and I want three minutes in the middle of their show, because I breast fed the little yellow people. But it`s terrific.

HAMMER: You`ll get a whole 1:13 to yourself this weekend. We really appreciate you spending some -- a few minutes with us here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

ULLMAN: Nice to meet you.

HAMMER: Nice to meet you as well. "Tracey Ullman Live and Exposed" will air this Saturday on HBO.

BRYANT: Conan has a secret weapon up his sleeve for May sweeps. That is on the way in laughter dark.

HAMMER: Plus the final trek as "Star Trek" gets set to go into warp drive for the very last time. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you live the STAR TREK stars from the past and the present. That`s coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Tonight, another showbiz sit down. It`s part of our final trek special series. For the first time in 18 years, sadly, there will be no new STAR TREK series on the small screen when the current show ENTERPRISE, goes off the air this Friday. As of now, even more sad, there are no new STAR TREK movies in the works.

HAMMER: So we are mourning, but all this week we`re doing something special, bringing you interviews with the STAR TREK stars, past and present, spanning the last 40 years. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is right back here with us on the bridge of the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT set with tonight`s last trek.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What a fun and exciting week it`s been talking to all these people involved in STAR TREK series of one year or another. For close to 40 years now, George Takei has been recognized worldwide for his portrayal as Mr. Sulu on the original STAR TREK series. Joining us now live from Los Angeles is none other than Mr. Sulu himself, George Takei. George, welcome to the program.

GEORGE TAKEI, PLAYED SULU ON STAR TREK: Good to be here.

HAFFENREFFER: We`ve been talking so much about the diversity on the original STAR TREK series initially and how, at the time, it was sort of a renegade decision to make it such a diverse cast in the first place. Was it discussed at all by the cast members originally?

TAKEI: Well, absolutely it was. And Gene Roddenberry, the late creator of "Star Trek" emphasized to us that the star ship Enterprise was a metaphor for star ship earth and that the strength of that starship was in its diversity, coming together and working in concert as a team. And so however daunting the challenges may have been, we were with the team that was able to look at that challenge from this perspective, that cultural angle, this historical experience. We were able to boldly go where no one has gone before.

HAFFENREFFER: And, indeed, you did. Your die hard fans are going to know this, but so many people don`t at this point. As a child, you and your family were sent to internment camps here in the U.S. during World War II. Since then, you`ve devoted much of your time in your life to sort of helping people through all that and talking about it and visiting them and whatnot. Elaborate a little bit for us if you would.

TAKEI: I think it`s important for Americans to know the full history of our country. There are a lot of glorious chapters. But unless we recognize the dark chapters, the points when we stumbled, then we`re likely to repeat that again. When World War II broke out, this country couldn`t tell the difference between American citizens of Japanese ancestry and the nation of Japan with which we were at war.

I was very young then and I didn`t understand what was happening, but I`ll never be able to forget that scary day when soldiers with bayoneted guns came to our home to order us out. We were taken from our home to the smelly horse stables of a nearby race track and, you know, housed there for a few months while the camps were being built. And once they were built, we were put on a train and transported halfway across the country to the swamps of Arkansas to a barbed wire camp with high, tall guard towers and machine guns pointed at us.

HAFFENREFFER: Certainly a frightening time in your life. I do want to give you a couple of questions here that we`ve been asking various cast members over the course of this week as we celebrate the final trek. Who was your favorite STAR TREK character, other than your own?

TAKEI: My colleagues are all characters that I`ve come to love and they`ve become friends as well. But I think amongst our guest characters, someone who was bigger than life was Kahn, Noonian Singh Kahn played by the great Ricardo Montalban. He was a bigger than life, dynamic and fantastic adversary. So I think he was the most memorable character that we had.

HAFFENREFFER: And final question for you tonight, will there ever be peace on earth?

TAKEI: Will there ever be peace on earth? We`re talking about the end is near for "Star Trek." We went through that, what, back in `69. And so we`ve experienced that. We know what that`s like. Leonard Nimoy created that Vulcan greeting, live long and prosper. And there`s, inherent in it, the wish for peace. So yes, I think as long as we keep our ideals in front of us, we will eventually have that kind of day.

HAFFENREFFER: Well said. George Takei, thank you for being with us today.

TAKEI: Pleasure being with you.

HAFFENREFFER: And warp speed Mr. Sulu from the past to the present now, joining us now from Los Angeles live is Anthony Montgomery who plays ensign Travis Maywether on the current series "Star Trek Enterprise." Anthony, welcome to our program.

ANTHONY MONTGOMERY: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

HAFFENREFFER: Tell me a little bit about your first recollection of the original STAR WARS series as a kid.

MONTGOMERY: STAR TREK series.

HAFFENREFFER: STAR TREK series, pardon me.

MONTGOMERY: The first thing that I remember was Nichelle Nichols in the original series, because I grew up in Indiana and unfortunately, it had a shady past with the Klan and I grew up during a time where blacks were supposed to be seen and not heard and this was the first woman that I had ever seen on television where nobody was demeaning to, nobody belittled her and she was a strength that I felt like I would be able to draw on in my own life.

HAFFENREFFER: Did that give you a great sense of pride when you got the job with ENTERPRISE to show up that first day of taping?

MONTGOMERY: Yes. It gave me a great sense of pride when I was at my agent`s office when I got the call saying that I booked the role. I didn`t know what to expect when I showed up the first day of taping. I just said I`m going to go in and be the best that I can be, nothing less.

HAFFENREFFER: I want to ask you a few of these questions as well. Let me ask you the character question first. Who was your favorite STAR TREK character, aside from yourself?

MONTGOMERY: For the reason I just stated, my favorite character would probably have to be Nichelle Nichols. Just because of -- just the regal elegance that she brought to the screen and I was very blessed to have met her last summer and it`s not just on the screen. She`s an incredible person in person.

HAMMER: Yeah, we spoke to her just a couple days ago and she really was quite remarkable.

MONTGOMERY: She`s amazing.

HAFFENREFFER: Final question here, do you believe in intelligent life elsewhere in the universe?

MONTGOMERY: You know, I think that it would be sad if this entire universe is just for us. So I don`t know, but I`d like to believe that yes, there has to be something else out there so that we`re not just sharing all of this space by ourselves.

HAFFENREFFER: Anthony Montgomery, thank you for being with us tonight.

MONTGOMERY: Thank you for having me.

HAFFENREFFER: And you can catch Anthony and the cast of ENTERPRISE when they reach the final frontier this Friday in a two-hour series finale on UPN. Karyn, thanks for correcting me back there as well.

BRYANT: That`s all right.

HAFFENREFFER: We all have STAR WARS on the mind also.

BRYANT: Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you, David. Now don`t worry. The final trek on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues this week as we salute STAR TREK with special guests Lavar Burton in "Star Trek the Next Generation" and Robert Picardo of "Star Trek Voyager."

HAMMER: Conan O`Brien is looking for hunks. That`s coming up in laughter dark.

BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. I know how I feel. Online music better than buying CDs? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or e-mail us what`s on your mind at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to have some of your thoughts live on the air next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: It is time to get your laugh on in laughter dark. We`re already cracking up. As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed.

HAMMER: During ratings sweeps season, TV shows pull out all the stops just so you`ll tune in. Last night on Conan O`Brien, Conan struggles to find a fresh face for his show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O`BRIEN: Series regular now, I`m sorry but this is May sweeps. If we don`t have a hunky newcomer, we`re dead in the water. I we need a hunky newcomer. I don`t care what I have to do to get one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me, are you Conan O`Brien?

O`BRIEN: Do me a favor. I`m just looking at you and something, it`s making me -- just do me a favor. Just look to camera three for a second do you mind? Just look to camera three. Al Roker. I`m not buying it, Al, but thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: What do you think?

BRYANT: Nice.

HAMMER: We`ve been asking you to vote online in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Online music better than buying CDs? Here`s the vote so far, 45 percent of you say yes, online music better than buying CDs, 55 percent of you say no. Among the e-mails on the subject, we heard from Angela in Lubbock, Texas -- or Anjelica (sic), I`m sorry Angelica, I love buying music online she says. It`s cheap and I only get the song I want. Who with a CD with 15 songs for almost a buck? And Karen from Newport News, Virginia, adds, CDs are better. We wants to pay a couple hundred bucks for an iPod when a CD player comes with my car. Please continue to vote by going to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, that`s cnn.com/showbiztonight on the web.

BRYANT: It`s time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

HAMMER: With that, we take a look at the showbiz marquee with Mr. Marquee guy.

ANNOUNCER: The marquee guy is quite excited, because Andy Garcia is stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. He stars as a painter and a sculptor in a new movie. It`s art imitating life, imitating art imitating lots of good stuff. Andy Garcia joins us live tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, he`s helped some of the biggest stars in Hollywood get in shape for the red carpet. We`re bringing out the big Gunnar, Gunnar Peterson, personal trainer to the stars, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

This is the marquee guy. I`m off to the gym. Then off to the red carpet for my new movie, the revenge of the marquee guy.

HAMMER: Good night, marquee guy. That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN headline news.

(NEWS BREAK)

END


Aired May 11, 2005 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: A terror scare in D.C. And a network scramble.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And a child star takes the stand in a very grown-up trial. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Tonight, Culkin in court. Macaulay Culkin takes the stand. What did the "Home Alone" star say about Michael Jackson? We`re there.

BRYANT: Tying the knot without saying a lot. New details of the surprise Renee and Kenny wedding. Plus, we`ll tell you who else just got hitched.

HAMMER: But we`ll get to know her. Tracey Ullman, taking on a very personal role. She joins us live.

BRYANT: Also, "The Final Trek" continues. "Star Trek" stars past and present join us to celebrate the Enterprise`s final voyage, live.

HAMMER: And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are the official winners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: They raced under pressure and pulled off an amazing come- from-behind win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really, one of the best finishes ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: We`re at the finish line of "The Amazing Race."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBER BRKICH, "THE AMAZING RACE": Hi, I`m Amber.

ROB MARIANO, "THE AMAZING RACE": I`m Rob.

MARIANO/BRKICH: From "The Amazing Race." And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you are at the top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We`re live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

BRYANT: Well, it didn`t last very long, but it felt like an eternity.

HAMMER: The nation watched their televisions in fear today as the White House and the Capitol were evacuated in a terror scare that really brought back chilling memories of September 11. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here with the very latest.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: A.J., Karyn, certainly a lot of activity today, code red in the nation`s capital as a pilot mistakenly flew into restricted air space just three miles from the White House. It was an error that sent the capital and the TV news networks scrambling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were yelling at to us run. One man told me, This is not a joke. And he said, Run, get off of the grounds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): CNN`s Suzanne Malveaux described a vivid scene of chaos at the nation`s capital, a warning that sent senators, congressmen and dignitaries into the streets and television news crews scrambling, capturing every terrifying moment. Around noon, the Capitol police went into high alert. A small plane entered into secure air space. Minutes later, CNN`s Wolf Blitzer reports to the nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to just interrupt because we`re getting some disturbing pictures from Capitol Hill right now...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: And ABC`s Dan Harris was the first of the big three networks to break the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN HARRIS, ABC NEWS: The breaking news out of Washington, D.C....

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: CBS news anchor Bob Schieffer was heading to lunch when he heard the news.

BOB SCHIEFFER, ANCHOR, "CBS EVENING NEWS": Somebody literally grabbed me by the shoulder and said, Wait a minute, we just got a report that there -- that Washington may be under attack.

HAFFENREFFER: Both the White House and the Capitol quickly evacuated, and fighter jets scrambled to move the Cessna out of the area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Clearly, there was a very rapid evacuation of the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: But for a city and a nation still healing from the September 11 attacks four years ago, it brought back some frightening memories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Outside and to your right, folks!

KATE LINDER, "THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS": Chaos. People just started going, walking out, running. And we heard someone say, This is not a drill. Leave the building.

HAFFENREFFER: "Young and the Restless" actress Kate Linder, testifying before the Senate to help boost funding for Lou Gehrig`s disease, was right there when it happened and told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the harrowing experience.

LINDER: I tried to remain calm. And people around me were saying, Oh, it`s just probably a plane got in the wrong air space. I was hoping that that was the reason, so I was trying to think that and not think the other way, that it was 9/11 all over again.

HAFFENREFFER: It`s a sign of the times. Schieffer says 9/11 changed the way TV news reacts to these kinds of emergencies.

SCHIEFFER: We`re all on a hair-trigger alert now, and even the least incident, you know, the most minor out-of-the-ordinary incident, can sometimes trigger a massive response. And it`s just something we`re going to have to learn to live with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And we are every day. The security scare lasted only about 15 minutes from start until finish, but the news networks continue to update the story at this hour -- A.J.

HAMMER: It was a scary few minutes. Thanks very much, David Haffenreffer -- Karyn.

BRYANT: Well, he is...

HAMMER: OK. He is -- I`ll take this one, Karyn. He is the witness in the Michael Jackson trial that everybody`s been waiting to hear from. Today, it finally happened, actor Macaulay Culkin testifying for the defense at the Jackson trial. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson is live with us in Hollywood with the very latest -- Brooke.

BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Hi, there, A.J. Macaulay Culkin was a frequent visitor to Jackson`s Neverland ranch, where prosecutors allege Jackson engaged in improper relationships with a number of young boys. Macaulay Culkin said today he only found out he was a potential victim from news reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Macaulay Culkin is used to the cameras, but this time, the cameras took his every move, his every pace, through the doors and through the metal detectors, this time not as an actor but as a witness for the defense.

He`s at the center of attention because the jury heard a former Jackson maid and chef say they witnessed inappropriate behavior between Jackson and Culkin. But Culkin today said two words to the jury: "absolutely ridiculous," Denying he was molested. "Celebrity Justice`s" Harvey Levin told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this is all good news for the defense.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": There is nothing like the person allegedly who had something done to him testifying. You can have witnesses talking about it, but unless the jury has reason to doubt, in this case, Macaulay Culkin, they`re going to believe Macaulay Culkin and they will disbelieve the maid and the chef and anybody else who said they saw something. Macaulay Culkin has to be damaged in order for the jury to start wondering, Well, maybe he`s lying. And it doesn`t seem like he was really damaged.

ANDERSON: It`s pictures like this we know about, the Disneyland trips, the music videos, all this after Culkin became famous after the "Home Alone" movies. Now fast-forward years later, and Macaulay told CNN`s Larry King the relationship was completely innocent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACAULAY CULKIN, FRIEND OF MICHAEL JACKSON: Michael Jackson`s bedroom is two stories. And it has, like, three bathrooms, and this and that. So when I slept in his bedroom, yes, but you have to understand the whole scenario. And the thing is with Michael, is that he`s not very good at explaining himself. And he never really has been because he`s not a very social person. I mean, you`re talking about someone who`s been sheltered and sheltering himself, also, for the last, like, 30 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Culkin told the jury he felt a special bond with Jackson because they were both child stars.

LEVIN: This was a very close relationship. And I think the danger prosecutors are running into here is that Michael Jackson has peculiar relationships with young boys -- simply peculiar -- and Macaulay Culkin is one of those relationships. If the jury walks away believing, You know, it`s peculiar, but we don`t think he molested, then the jury can basically say, This is kind of this weird manchild who isn`t a criminal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Analysts tell us Culkin isn`t a make-or-break witness. And there`s still more to come. Culkin was the first celebrity to testify for the defense, but there could be more. Elizabeth Taylor, Stevie Wonder and Kobe Bryant are just a few of the names the defense has put on their witness list -- Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks very much, Brooke Anderson.

HAMMER: Well, the final four contestants performed last night on "American Idol," the first show since Corey Clark claimed he had an intimate and improper relationship with judge Paula Abdul. And host Ryan Seacrest addressed it right off the bat. Well, sort of.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN SEACREST, HOST: Let`s just put it out there. Lots of shock and outrage surrounding the show. And I just want to say, that`s what happens when you lose a guy like Scott Savol.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, the audience cheered Paula when she was introduced, and some brought signs showing support for her. Today on "The Ellen Degeneres Show," Abdul`s fellow judge, Simon Cowell, gave his reaction to the scandal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: I (INAUDIBLE) that she cheated on me. (INAUDIBLE) it was quite obvious that this was actually just a huge plug for his appalling new album. I have to say, in defense of Paula, what with the now four seasons, I mean, you would have heard rumors of this stuff. You know what it`s like when you work on show. And it was all news to me, and I think it was all news to her. And I think it`s just another controversy, isn`t it, on "American Idol."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Got some interesting insight, as well. Simon says he thinks it`s going to be Carrie and Bo in the final, and it`s going to be a close call when that race finally comes to a close. Tonight, one of the final four contestants gets sent home.

BRYANT: Tonight, new details and new photos of one of Hollywood`s most surprising weddings, Renee Zellweger and country music star Kenny Chesney. As SHOWBIZ TONIGHT first told you, they tied the knot on the Caribbean island of St. John on Monday. Now, they wed after meeting only four months ago.

Joining us with the details and a look at "People" magazine`s exclusive wedding photos is Cynthia Sanz, senior editor of "People" magazine. Cynthia, thanks for joining us. First question. How were they able to keep this relationship and this wedding such a secret?

CYNTHIA SANZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: You know, it was really impressive on their part. They just made it a point to not go out in public. They met very quietly. They would meet out-of-the-way places. They talked on the phone all the time. They really wanted to keep it between themselves.

BRYANT: Basically, didn`t they go down to Nashville and sort of hang out together there, but basically stay out of Hollywood`s, you know, radar?

SANZ: They completely did. I mean, they would meet, like, in San Diego or they would meet in Nashville or they would just meet wherever he was playing on his tour. They really tried to stay away from the spotlight.

BRYANT: OK. What can you tell us about the actual wedding? How big was it? Who was there? What did they have at the reception?

SANZ: The wedding was really, really tiny. They had about 35 close family and friends. They just wanted it to be very private among the people they really cared about. They exchanged two simple silver bands as wedding bands. There wasn`t any big flashy engagement ring, no celebrity guests, no $40,000 flower arrangements. It was really just a very simple, traditional ceremony.

BRYANT: And what about the rehearsal dinner, if you will, the night before?

SANZ: The whole party went out, actually, the night before, for the rehearsal and then just to sort of celebrate. And Kenny and Renee wore flip-flop flops and jeans. It was very casual, just (INAUDIBLE) island fun.

BRYANT: OK. What are they up to now? Are they taking a honeymoon, or are they going back to work?

SANZ: Well, Kenny`s actually still on tour, so he had to go back to work. Renee has to do promotion for "Cinderella Man." They`ll be certainly meeting up while he`s on tour, but they have to work it around their schedules.

BRYANT: Now, do you think that he will show up with her on the red carpet for the "Cinderella Man" premiere?

SANZ: Maybe. And certainly, the Academy of Country Music is next week, and everybody`s waiting to see if she shows up with him.

BRYANT: OK. And there was another celebrity wedding, Heidi Klum and Seal. Any details on that?

SANZ: They, too, kept it really small, really private. It was at his home on the western coast of Mexico. They only had about 40 people. They wanted something very simple, too.

BRYANT: All right. And they`re expecting a baby this fall, as well.

SANZ: They are.

BRYANT: All right. Well, Cynthia, thanks for joining us here now. You at home can pick up the issue of "People" magazine with the Renee and Kenny photos beginning this Friday.

HAMMER: Well, Karyn, we have some good news coming into the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom tonight. Sharon Stone has a little nugget. Word tonight she`s adopted a baby boy. Stone has named the baby Laird Vonne Stone. She also has a 4-year-old son from her five-year marriage to former husband Phil Bronstein. You recall she recovered from suffering a brain aneurysm. She`s currently in London shooting "Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction."

Well, another celebrity couple, Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky have -- Ostrosky -- did I mispronounce that? I believe I did. Sorry, Beth. They have a lot of buzz going, certainly. And she`s going to join us to talk about that and what you`re looking at coming up next.

BRYANT: Also, Rob and Amber survived "Survivor." Did they survive "The Amazing Race"? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is with them for the exciting finish.

HAMMER: Plus, "Star Trek" heads toward the finish line. Our "Final Trek" series continues with a "Star Trek" original, Mr. Sulu, and one of the stars from the last "Trek" series, both coming up right here, live.

It`s time now for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actor attended Columbia University on a football scholarship before discovering acting? Was it Ed Harris, James Gandolfini, Ben Stiller or Johnny Depp? Stick around. We`re coming right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actor attended Columbia University on a football scholarship before discovering acting, Ed Harris, James Gandolfini, Ben Stiller or Johnny Depp? The answer is A, Ed Harris.

BRYANT: It`s time now for "The Show`s Biz," a look at stories making news in the business of entertainment. Tonight, Yahoo! is taking on Apple`s I-Tunes service for the I-Pod. Yahoo! today launched an on-line music service. For a monthly fee, you can rent songs from a million-song library and put them on portable players other than the I-Pod. Stop paying the monthly fee, and the music won`t play anymore. Yahoo!`s fee is half that of competitors Rhapsody and Napster, who have similar services.

And that leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. On-line music: Better than buying CDs? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later on in the show.

HAMMER: Well, Howard Stern made waves on the airwaves when he said he was going digital to Sirius satellite radio. His girlfriend, Beth Ostrosky, is creating a lot of buzz herself, too. She is on the cover of this month`s "FHM" magazine. Beth joins us live here in New York for a little "Sitdown."

And I got to tell you, once again, a magazine creating quite a stir on our set, Beth. It`s nice to see you. Thanks for coming in.

BETH OSTROSKY, "FHM" COLUMNIST: Oh, really? Wow. Thank you.

HAMMER: All the guys coming over to grab it out of my hands. In fact, I want to take a look at some of the footage from the shoot...

OSTROSKY: I don`t!

HAMMER: ... for the cover photo.

OSTROSKY: I don`t.

HAMMER: You don`t have to look at the monitor. If we could roll that? Doing this not such a tough gig, right?

OSTROSKY: I know.

HAMMER: I mean, really, I know it`s work. I know you`re out there working. Where was this...

OSTROSKY: That`s not work.

HAMMER: Where was this being shot?

OSTROSKY: That was in Miami. It was really windy and cold, and I was miserable.

HAMMER: OK.

OSTROSKY: But look how good I am.

HAMMER: Yes, you look fantastic, and you get paid for, you know, basically hanging out on the beach. And if I may say so, the pictures don`t do you justice.

OSTROSKY: Oh, thank you, A.J.!

HAMMER: Now that I get to see you here in person. My pleasure!

OSTROSKY: Very sweet!

HAMMER: And also in the magazine, I found it really fascinating you`re giving out advice, but not just giving out advice, you`re doing it with Ted Lange...

OSTROSKY: I know!

HAMMER: ... who, of course, is Isaac...

OSTROSKY: Isaac...

HAMMER: ... from "The Love Boat."

OSTROSKY: ... from "The Love Boat."

HAMMER: What`s that about?

OSTROSKY: How did that happen? I developed this great relationship with "FHM," and they -- I don`t know, they -- I guess being in a relationship with Howard Stern for five years, that makes me an expert on relationships. So guys consider that the case, and they write to me and ask me questions. And I just have fun.

HAMMER: So it`s your actual advice. You`re not -- this isn`t ghost- written for you or anything like that?

OSTROSKY: No, it`s my advice. What do you think?

HAMMER: Well, I actually liked one of the pieces. You said never date a woman who you`ve paid cash to for a lap dance.

OSTROSKY: Yes.

HAMMER: Words to live by.

OSTROSKY: Don`t do it, A.J.! Don`t do it.

HAMMER: Well, as we`ve mentioned, you do have a very famous boyfriend.

OSTROSKY: I do.

HAMMER: Dating a star poses its own challenges. Dating a mega-star like Howard certainly must pose some unique challenges. I imagine there`s a lot of up side to it, perhaps some down side. What is some of the stuff that comes along with the territory?

OSTROSKY: Well, it`s all been up side for me. Tomorrow, actually, is our five-year anniversary.

HAMMER: Congratulations. That`s awesome.

OSTROSKY: Thank you. I`m doing something right. No, it`s just blissful, happy. There`s really -- there`s no challenge for us. That`s the key. When people are in relationships and they`re in misery, like, Oh, we`re friends, but we have problems sexually or -- you know, it doesn`t have to be that way. I have it all. It`s all good. If you`re in a relationship where something`s missing, you can find the perfect person out there because I have.

HAMMER: That`s cool.

OSTROSKY: And it`s just great. There are no challenges. It just works for us.

HAMMER: Well, he seems to say the same thing about you. I listen to his show every day, so he`s saying it.

OSTROSKY: Thank you.

HAMMER: Of course, he does have rather obsessive fans. Not all of them, but there are some. Anything ever happen weird walking in the street or any...

OSTROSKY: No. They`ve all been so supportive of me, and I love them all.

HAMMER: So being, Hey, Howard`s girlfriend, that`s cool?

OSTROSKY: You know what? It`s a great thing. I`m proud of it.

HAMMER: I also know you guys are big dog fans. And we have a lovely picture of Bianca Romijn Stamos...

OSTROSKY: Yes.

HAMMER: ... on the cover of the "New York Dog" magazine.

OSTROSKY: Yes.

HAMMER: She`s such a beautiful bulldog. I actually have obviously been hearing about her for years. To finally see her picture, you just...

OSTROSKY: She`s my baby.

HAMMER: How did you get involved with this?

OSTROSKY: I work really closely with the North Shore Animal League of America, and I just promote adopting at your local shelter, so...

HAMMER: Which everybody should do.

OSTROSKY: Which everyone -- A.J. did. I saw a picture of your beautiful dog.

HAMMER: Thank you.

OSTROSKY: And so Bianca`s just my little mascot and comes along with me, and she ends up stealing the show and getting the cover of the magazine.

HAMMER: And a one-of-a-kind name, if I may ask.

OSTROSKY: Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

HAMMER: Named after some friends of yours.

OSTROSKY: Named after, actually, a stripper, because she`s a big, fat English bulldog, so we wanted to give her a feminine name. A friend of ours was dating a stripper, she gave herself a feminine name. We thought it was great, Bianca, and...

HAMMER: It wasn`t Bianca Paris (ph), was it?

OSTROSKY: I don`t know her last name.

HAMMER: No, I don`t even want to go there.

OSTROSKY: Do you Bianca Paris?

HAMMER: I don`t even want to comment on it!

OSTROSKY: Uh-oh! Talk to you about that later.

HAMMER: Thank you so much for stopping by. Really...

OSTROSKY: Thank you, A.J.

HAMMER: So nice to meet you.

OSTROSKY: I`ll see you over at Sirius.

HAMMER: I have a lot to talk about there.

OSTROSKY: I`ll see you at Sirius.

HAMMER: ... but I`m going to just move along.

OSTROSKY: Everyone go to Sirius January next year.

HAMMER: And make sure you read all about Beth in this month`s "FHM" magazine that happened to hit newsstands today.

BRYANT: Well, it is the end of the road for Dennis Miller`s show on CNBC. Just a short time ago, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT confirmed that the show has been canceled. CNBC has decided to replay "Mad Money" with Jim Cramer at 9:00 Eastern in Miller`s time slot. And in a memo to employees today, the president of CNBC says when Miller heard the news, he told them, I`m out of here, and decided to leave the network immediately. The last episode of "Dennis Miller" airs this Friday.

HAMMER: Well, as Dennis Miller leaves the building, Elvis has reentered it. There`s a new mini-series about the king of rock-and-roll. Camryn Manheim plays his mom, and she`s going to join us coming up next.

BRYANT: Tracey Ullman has played many people in her career. This time, she takes on someone who knows her quite well. She`s live with us in just a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is time for another "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," this time with Camryn Manheim. She may be best known for her Golden Globe and Emmy-winning role as a hard-hitting attorney on "The Practice," but in her new role as Elvis Presley`s mother in the CBS mini-series "Elvis," Camryn reveals she can be tender, too.

I sat down with Camryn and asked her about playing the role of Gladys Presley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMRYN MANHEIM, "ELVIS: THE EARLY YEARS": You know, I think actors are always a little afraid to play a character that`s known in history because you -- there`s a huge burden to do it right. The beauty about playing Gladys Presley is that everyone knew how much Elvis loved her, but they didn`t know a lot about her personally. They didn`t know what she sounded like. They didn`t know how she really acted in public. So I felt like a burden to imitate her perfectly was lifted. And I just did a lot of research. I read incredible books. "Elvis and Gladys" is a quintessential book on her lineage, on her heritage, on her upbringing. Many people talk about her. It was really helpful in defining who she was.

BRYANT: Well, we`re going to take a look at a clip, actually. This is where you and Elvis are talking together, kind of about the down side of fame and success.

MANHEIM: Yes. This is Graceland, and we were lucky enough to get to film there. And she`s feeding the chickens and talking to her baby.

BRYANT: Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANHEIM: But I always knew you`d be home for dinner. And Dixie was there, and we`d all go to church together. And I didn`t have to worry whether or not you were safe or if I look good enough for all them reporters.

JONATHAN RHYS-MEYERS, "ELVIS": Oh, Momma, you look just fine.

MANHEIM: I just want you to be proud of me, Elvis.

RHYS-MEYERS: Proud of you?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Now, you touched on the relationship between the two of them. Can you go on that? Because a lot of people don`t know how close they were or what kind of relationship they had.

MANHEIM: Yes. They had a very profound bond. Elvis loved Gladys so much. In fact, the reason why we know of Elvis is because for one of Gladys` birthdays, he saved up $3.50, which was a lot of money in those times, went to Sun Records and cut her an album for her birthday.

BRYANT: Yes.

MANHEIM: It was there that the producers heard him, and that he kind of said, I belong in this studio. And of course, that`s where his whole career started, was at Sun Records, so...

BRYANT: Yes, I was in Memphis a couple years ago, and I went to Sun studios. And it`s amazing. I mean, they have the microphone.

(CROSSTALK)

MANHEIM: It`s a museum. It`s, like, incredible. And it started there on that day when he cut that record. It was called "My Happiness"...

BRYANT: Right.

MANHEIM: ... and he gave to it her for her birthday. And she adored Elvis, believed in him, thought that he should have his own style, he should embrace his uniqueness, he should embrace his incredible talent. While other people were saying, You`re going to go to hell, you`re the devil, she`s, like, Honey, you stick to your guns. And he loved her for that and I think credits her with a lot of his success.

BRYANT: Everybody loved you in "The Practice," OK, and you won, you know, awards for it. Obviously, people would love to see you back on television. Are you planning on doing any more TV besides this mini- series?

MANHEIM: Don`t think you can get rid of me that easy just because my show of eight years got canceled! No, I`ve been doing a lot of TV. In fact, I`ve been doing "The L Word." I did "Two and a Half Men." But the most exciting news is that I just finished my own pilot...

BRYANT: Oh, really?

MANHEIM: ... which I hope you all will see in the fall.

BRYANT: Well, Thank you for joining us today, Camryn.

MANHEIM: Nice to see you. Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: And you can catch part two of the Elvis mini-series tonight on CBS.

HAMMER: An amazing finish to "The Amazing Race" as they globe-trotted into the winner`s circle. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT stayed up late partying with the finalists. That`s coming up next. Plus, Tracey Ullman exposing herself, in a flash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BRYANT: The final trek. As "Star Trek" rides of into the sunset, tonight we have stars from the current series and the original series live.

HAMMER: An amazing finish to the amazing race and an amazing party with the host and contestants. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE DITKA: Hi, I`m Mike Ditka and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

The networks scrambled over a security scare in Washington this afternoon. The White House and Capitol building were evacuated when a small plane flew into restricted air space. The all clear was given 15 minutes later.

Actor Macaulay Culkin says the molestation charges against Michael Jackson are quote, absolutely ridiculous. Culkin testified in Jackson`s defense in California today. He told jurors Jackson never touched him in an improper way but that he did sleep in Jackson`s bed 12 or more times between the ages of 9 and 14.

BRYANT: Heidi Klum and Seal are married. We learned today the model and the singer exchanged vows yesterday on a beach in Mexico. They broke news of their engagement back in January and in March, Klum announced she was pregnant. Klum and Seal started dating last year.

HAMMER: Once again, our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Online music, better than buying CDs? We`d like you to keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say? You can e-mail us your thoughts at showbiztonight@cnn.com. And we`re going to share some of what you had to say at 54 past the hour.

BRYANT: Tonight, fans of the AMAZING RACE are catching their collective breath. The reality show which pits 11 teams of two against each other in a race around the world had a thrilling season finale last night. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there with the contestants as they watched the season end with a surprise winner and an even bigger surprise runner-up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT (voice-over): An amazing comeback, an amazing party and an amazing end to this season of the AMAZING RACE.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the best finishes ever.

BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there as AMAZING RACE host Phil Keoghan and the contestant reunited in New York City last night to watch the thrilling season finale. Houston couple Uchenna and Joyce staged a Texas- sized comeback and during a flat tire in Jamaica, the loss of their stuff and a breakdown or two, to beat reality show vets and early favorites Rob and Amber to the finish line. The winners told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sometimes, nice guys do finish first.

UCHENNA AGU, WINNER: At the end of the day, we felt we ran the best race that we could, being the best people that we could be.

BRYANT: Rob and Amber aren`t used to losing. Last year, Amber won SURVIVOR all stars. Rob came in second, but got a pretty good consolation prize. But although they weren`t able to conquer the AMAZING RACE, the couple, who married last month, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they have no regrets.

AMBER BRKICH, 2ND PLACE: I think we impressed ourselves with how well we got along, how well we worked together and we came out on top.

ROB MARIANO, 2ND PLACE: We were definitely focused and committed, and I think it showed throughout the course of the entire race.

BRYANT: As for the winners, it`s clear what Uchenna and Joyce plan to do with their $1 million prize.

UCHENNA AGU: In vitro here we come, baby.

BRYANT: They tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that their next challenge is having a child.

JOYCE AGU, WINNER: We`re going to do a round of in vitro. If it doesn`t work out, we`ve got some funds. We can afford adoptions.

BRYANT: The AMAZING RACE has adopted some new viewers. The Emmy winning show scored its highest rating ever this season. The show`s host says it`s all because this cast was, well, amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a little bit like playing the lottery and season seven we really got it right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: After their second place finish, Rob and Amber tied the knot in the Bahamas. You can catch the wedding on a CBS special May 24.

Two other AMAZING RACE couples tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they`ve also caught the marriage bug. Deanna and Ray are getting married in two weeks and Lynn and Alex plan to exchange vows next month in Canada. But the squabbling third place finishers Ron and Kelly tell us they`ve decided to be friends.

BRYANT: We have this just in to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom. Comedy Central star Dave Chapelle has checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa. This comes from "Entertainment Weekly." Now the comedian`s whereabouts and condition have been unknown since Comedy Central suddenly canceled the premiere of the third season of Chapelle`s show. It had been postponed and production had been halted. The magazine reports Chapelle flew from Newark to South Africa on April 28 for treatment. Chapelle`s spokesman Matt Labov would not comment on the magazine`s story.

HAMMER: It is time now for another showbiz sit down, this time with Tracey Ullman. You`re hearing her 1984 hit "They Don`t Know Right Now." For a good part of her career, you really knew her as someone else from a male New York City cab driver to a 70-year-old doughnut shop owner who was Asian, and her comedy came to America on the Tracey Ullman show in the late `80s. For that she snapped up a bunch of Emmys and now she`s dropping all the wigs, all that heavy makeup and chest hair to play herself in a new HBO comedy special called "Tracey Ullman, Live and Exposed." Tracey, thanks for stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

TRACEY ULLMAN, ENTERTAINER: Thank you.

HAMMER: It`s so cool having you here. We were just talking during the break about "They Don`t Know" and I mentioned it`s 21 years ago and you put your hand on your face in shock.

ULLMAN: Oh, my goodness, I know, 21 years ago. I was an MTV V.J. It was when they were on Tenth Avenue, the little studio. I think it was "Video Killed the Radio Star" got played all the time. Huey Lewis and the News and me quite a bit.

HAMMER: A lot of people didn`t realize you were there from the very beginning really.

ULLMAN: Yeah, that`s right. And I had Paul McCartney in my video. People used to think he was my father or something. He`s your dad, right? No, no, Paul`s not my dad. Yes, well, longevity in this business, darling.

HAMMER: You deal a lot with that in your HBO special which is coming on this weekend.

ULLMAN: Yes.

HAMMER: You`ve spent your entire career picking out that one little characteristic about people you`ve met along the way and turning those into the characters you play.

ULLMAN: Yes.

HAMMER: Now you`re basically turning the mirror on yourself. Was that tough to do?

ULLMAN: Yes, me playing me, my most challenging character. I just play sort of nice Tracey, nice, friendly, approachable Tracey. I wanted to do a show on stage, I`ve never done it. I`ve never spoken directly to an audience dressed as myself and tell my life story so far. I started out at six years old doing a show in my mother`s bedroom. And I think I basically do that now. I mean with more lights, a bit more money, some costumes. And so, you know, I used to stand on the windowsill and pull back the curtains and just become people. And I decided to put that on stage. And I play myself at six. I have this ridiculous little thing that hangs, like sort of swinging (INAUDIBLE), if found these little bunches to wear. And I went through my dancing years, my pop star years as we talked about. They don`t know.

HAMMER: Actually, I want to ask you something about the dancing years before we move on from that, because you learned an important lesson. I believe it was when you were dancing in Berlin, about the necessity of wearing underwear when you`re dancing on stage.

ULLMAN: Yes. It`s just -- I mean, it wasn`t Berlin. It was Blackpool. It was a very sad seaside resort and one day, it was sunny, and I ran out with the dancers and we went to the beach and I ran back to get changed and I put my pantyhose on and my red dress and I ran out on stage and went to do a cart wheel lift with a guy, and realized I had no underwear on over the top of my pantyhose. It`s an old dancer`s trick that you`re all aware of. And I`m a brunette and, you know just -- it was a moment.

HAMMER: We understand where you`re going.

ULLMAN: (INAUDIBLE) British holiday makers.

HAMMER: The dance kind of ended with that.

ULLMAN: It kind of ended there. So I reenact that in the show, do a lot of dancing. It was good to be thrown in the air again with no underpants on, but we do black out before that vital moment.

HAMMER: You`ll have to just see that on the special.

ULLMAN: You`ll just have to see. You`ll just have to see.

HAMMER: The "Simpsons" just celebrated a very important milestone, 16 years on the air. And they are now the longest running animated sitcom ever on television. A lot of people may not realize they got their start not looking like this, on your show originally just as a vignette.

ULLMAN: Rudimentary on my show. It was sort of like this. It was all like hand drawn at the time.

HAMMER: Do you watch the show?

ULLMAN: I love the "Simpsons." How proud I am. It`s amazing. It`s the best writing and it`s actually so established and wonderful and I want three minutes in the middle of their show, because I breast fed the little yellow people. But it`s terrific.

HAMMER: You`ll get a whole 1:13 to yourself this weekend. We really appreciate you spending some -- a few minutes with us here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

ULLMAN: Nice to meet you.

HAMMER: Nice to meet you as well. "Tracey Ullman Live and Exposed" will air this Saturday on HBO.

BRYANT: Conan has a secret weapon up his sleeve for May sweeps. That is on the way in laughter dark.

HAMMER: Plus the final trek as "Star Trek" gets set to go into warp drive for the very last time. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you live the STAR TREK stars from the past and the present. That`s coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Tonight, another showbiz sit down. It`s part of our final trek special series. For the first time in 18 years, sadly, there will be no new STAR TREK series on the small screen when the current show ENTERPRISE, goes off the air this Friday. As of now, even more sad, there are no new STAR TREK movies in the works.

HAMMER: So we are mourning, but all this week we`re doing something special, bringing you interviews with the STAR TREK stars, past and present, spanning the last 40 years. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is right back here with us on the bridge of the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT set with tonight`s last trek.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What a fun and exciting week it`s been talking to all these people involved in STAR TREK series of one year or another. For close to 40 years now, George Takei has been recognized worldwide for his portrayal as Mr. Sulu on the original STAR TREK series. Joining us now live from Los Angeles is none other than Mr. Sulu himself, George Takei. George, welcome to the program.

GEORGE TAKEI, PLAYED SULU ON STAR TREK: Good to be here.

HAFFENREFFER: We`ve been talking so much about the diversity on the original STAR TREK series initially and how, at the time, it was sort of a renegade decision to make it such a diverse cast in the first place. Was it discussed at all by the cast members originally?

TAKEI: Well, absolutely it was. And Gene Roddenberry, the late creator of "Star Trek" emphasized to us that the star ship Enterprise was a metaphor for star ship earth and that the strength of that starship was in its diversity, coming together and working in concert as a team. And so however daunting the challenges may have been, we were with the team that was able to look at that challenge from this perspective, that cultural angle, this historical experience. We were able to boldly go where no one has gone before.

HAFFENREFFER: And, indeed, you did. Your die hard fans are going to know this, but so many people don`t at this point. As a child, you and your family were sent to internment camps here in the U.S. during World War II. Since then, you`ve devoted much of your time in your life to sort of helping people through all that and talking about it and visiting them and whatnot. Elaborate a little bit for us if you would.

TAKEI: I think it`s important for Americans to know the full history of our country. There are a lot of glorious chapters. But unless we recognize the dark chapters, the points when we stumbled, then we`re likely to repeat that again. When World War II broke out, this country couldn`t tell the difference between American citizens of Japanese ancestry and the nation of Japan with which we were at war.

I was very young then and I didn`t understand what was happening, but I`ll never be able to forget that scary day when soldiers with bayoneted guns came to our home to order us out. We were taken from our home to the smelly horse stables of a nearby race track and, you know, housed there for a few months while the camps were being built. And once they were built, we were put on a train and transported halfway across the country to the swamps of Arkansas to a barbed wire camp with high, tall guard towers and machine guns pointed at us.

HAFFENREFFER: Certainly a frightening time in your life. I do want to give you a couple of questions here that we`ve been asking various cast members over the course of this week as we celebrate the final trek. Who was your favorite STAR TREK character, other than your own?

TAKEI: My colleagues are all characters that I`ve come to love and they`ve become friends as well. But I think amongst our guest characters, someone who was bigger than life was Kahn, Noonian Singh Kahn played by the great Ricardo Montalban. He was a bigger than life, dynamic and fantastic adversary. So I think he was the most memorable character that we had.

HAFFENREFFER: And final question for you tonight, will there ever be peace on earth?

TAKEI: Will there ever be peace on earth? We`re talking about the end is near for "Star Trek." We went through that, what, back in `69. And so we`ve experienced that. We know what that`s like. Leonard Nimoy created that Vulcan greeting, live long and prosper. And there`s, inherent in it, the wish for peace. So yes, I think as long as we keep our ideals in front of us, we will eventually have that kind of day.

HAFFENREFFER: Well said. George Takei, thank you for being with us today.

TAKEI: Pleasure being with you.

HAFFENREFFER: And warp speed Mr. Sulu from the past to the present now, joining us now from Los Angeles live is Anthony Montgomery who plays ensign Travis Maywether on the current series "Star Trek Enterprise." Anthony, welcome to our program.

ANTHONY MONTGOMERY: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

HAFFENREFFER: Tell me a little bit about your first recollection of the original STAR WARS series as a kid.

MONTGOMERY: STAR TREK series.

HAFFENREFFER: STAR TREK series, pardon me.

MONTGOMERY: The first thing that I remember was Nichelle Nichols in the original series, because I grew up in Indiana and unfortunately, it had a shady past with the Klan and I grew up during a time where blacks were supposed to be seen and not heard and this was the first woman that I had ever seen on television where nobody was demeaning to, nobody belittled her and she was a strength that I felt like I would be able to draw on in my own life.

HAFFENREFFER: Did that give you a great sense of pride when you got the job with ENTERPRISE to show up that first day of taping?

MONTGOMERY: Yes. It gave me a great sense of pride when I was at my agent`s office when I got the call saying that I booked the role. I didn`t know what to expect when I showed up the first day of taping. I just said I`m going to go in and be the best that I can be, nothing less.

HAFFENREFFER: I want to ask you a few of these questions as well. Let me ask you the character question first. Who was your favorite STAR TREK character, aside from yourself?

MONTGOMERY: For the reason I just stated, my favorite character would probably have to be Nichelle Nichols. Just because of -- just the regal elegance that she brought to the screen and I was very blessed to have met her last summer and it`s not just on the screen. She`s an incredible person in person.

HAMMER: Yeah, we spoke to her just a couple days ago and she really was quite remarkable.

MONTGOMERY: She`s amazing.

HAFFENREFFER: Final question here, do you believe in intelligent life elsewhere in the universe?

MONTGOMERY: You know, I think that it would be sad if this entire universe is just for us. So I don`t know, but I`d like to believe that yes, there has to be something else out there so that we`re not just sharing all of this space by ourselves.

HAFFENREFFER: Anthony Montgomery, thank you for being with us tonight.

MONTGOMERY: Thank you for having me.

HAFFENREFFER: And you can catch Anthony and the cast of ENTERPRISE when they reach the final frontier this Friday in a two-hour series finale on UPN. Karyn, thanks for correcting me back there as well.

BRYANT: That`s all right.

HAFFENREFFER: We all have STAR WARS on the mind also.

BRYANT: Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you, David. Now don`t worry. The final trek on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues this week as we salute STAR TREK with special guests Lavar Burton in "Star Trek the Next Generation" and Robert Picardo of "Star Trek Voyager."

HAMMER: Conan O`Brien is looking for hunks. That`s coming up in laughter dark.

BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. I know how I feel. Online music better than buying CDs? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or e-mail us what`s on your mind at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to have some of your thoughts live on the air next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: It is time to get your laugh on in laughter dark. We`re already cracking up. As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed.

HAMMER: During ratings sweeps season, TV shows pull out all the stops just so you`ll tune in. Last night on Conan O`Brien, Conan struggles to find a fresh face for his show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O`BRIEN: Series regular now, I`m sorry but this is May sweeps. If we don`t have a hunky newcomer, we`re dead in the water. I we need a hunky newcomer. I don`t care what I have to do to get one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me, are you Conan O`Brien?

O`BRIEN: Do me a favor. I`m just looking at you and something, it`s making me -- just do me a favor. Just look to camera three for a second do you mind? Just look to camera three. Al Roker. I`m not buying it, Al, but thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: What do you think?

BRYANT: Nice.

HAMMER: We`ve been asking you to vote online in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Online music better than buying CDs? Here`s the vote so far, 45 percent of you say yes, online music better than buying CDs, 55 percent of you say no. Among the e-mails on the subject, we heard from Angela in Lubbock, Texas -- or Anjelica (sic), I`m sorry Angelica, I love buying music online she says. It`s cheap and I only get the song I want. Who with a CD with 15 songs for almost a buck? And Karen from Newport News, Virginia, adds, CDs are better. We wants to pay a couple hundred bucks for an iPod when a CD player comes with my car. Please continue to vote by going to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, that`s cnn.com/showbiztonight on the web.

BRYANT: It`s time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

HAMMER: With that, we take a look at the showbiz marquee with Mr. Marquee guy.

ANNOUNCER: The marquee guy is quite excited, because Andy Garcia is stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. He stars as a painter and a sculptor in a new movie. It`s art imitating life, imitating art imitating lots of good stuff. Andy Garcia joins us live tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, he`s helped some of the biggest stars in Hollywood get in shape for the red carpet. We`re bringing out the big Gunnar, Gunnar Peterson, personal trainer to the stars, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

This is the marquee guy. I`m off to the gym. Then off to the red carpet for my new movie, the revenge of the marquee guy.

HAMMER: Good night, marquee guy. That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN headline news.

(NEWS BREAK)

END